Youth at 24 should be full of hope, but a young woman in mainland China was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer at just 21. After a total gastrectomy and 8 chemotherapy sessions, she lost weight dramatically to only 35kg, hitting rock bottom. However, facing the relentless disease, she did not give up. Instead, she picked up her paintbrush in her hospital bed, using it to document the warm moments with her medical team, admitting, "It heals me and heals everyone else."
According to comprehensive mainland media reports, 24-year-old cancer-fighting influencer Xu Cui-de, known as "Yu Yu de Xu" on Douyin, has 19,000 followers. At 21, she received two life-changing "gifts" simultaneously: one was her long-awaited university acceptance letter, and the other was a diagnosis of advanced stomach cancer. Earlier that same year, on the third day of the Lunar New Year, she was hospitalized for sudden vomiting of blood, with symptoms like anemia and loss of appetite already appearing. At the end of March, after a gastroscopic biopsy at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, the diagnosis read "moderate to advanced gastric cancer." These two notifications plunged this young girl, who loved crafts and drawing, into a harsh winter. To pay for her medical expenses, her parents scraped together all their savings.
On the eve of her surgery, which coincided with her 22nd birthday, this naturally beauty-loving girl made a surprising decision: she cut off her long hair herself, saying, "My hair will grow back, and I will come back healthy too." However, during surgery, doctors discovered the tumor had spread throughout her entire stomach, forcing them to perform a total gastrectomy. After surgery, she was covered in tubes. But even more difficult were the 8 chemotherapy sessions, daily blood draws, and severe drug reactions that followed, causing her weight to plummet to about 35kg and her spirit to nearly break.
Withdrew from School to Recuperate in Hometown, Set Up a Stall, Redefining Her Life's Direction
Due to the total gastrectomy, Xu had to withdraw from school and return to her hometown in Shuanggui Village, Wuxuan County, Guangxi, to recover. From then on, she needed to eat 6-8 small meals daily, each portion just one or two bites of a normal person's meal. In the three years since returning to her village, she hasn't left her hometown once. But she feels she has traveled quite far. At 21, the possibilities of life seemed to stretch before her like the bookshelves in a university library. Now, her world has shrunk to the hospital corridors, the winding mountain road from home to the county town, and the small screen of her phone. Yet, on this narrow path, she has charted her own course: eating mouthful by mouthful, living life bit by bit. She said, "Before, I thought the world was vast and I wanted to explore it. Now, I feel the world is right here." She pointed to her handmade craft stall and then to her sketchbook. Within this body that has lost its stomach, she has found a way to hold the entire world again.
Picked Up Paintbrush in Hospital Bed to Document Medical Team's Warmth: "Healing Myself and Healing Everyone"
On December 4, 2025, she returned to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University with handmade Christmas gifts. These intricate creations were made while she was undergoing chemotherapy. They included drawings capturing moments like the light footsteps of nurses during late-night rounds, the focused profiles of doctors discussing her case, and their genuine smiles when encouraging her with her handmade crafts. These pieces were carefully framed as a small token of appreciation for her "medical family." She said, "Drawing is very healing. It heals me, and it heals everyone else."
Over three years, the nurses in the oncology department have always called her by her nickname. Dr. Huang meticulously refined her treatment plan, and the head nurse witnessed her transformation from the fear of her first intubation in her early twenties to her current ability to stand on her own. The head nurse's comment, "She's grown up. She used to need her mother to accompany her; now she can handle things on her own," made Xu's eyes instantly redden. Xu said, "They are so busy and so tired, yet they always see what I need." Today, Xu's handmade crafts even help lighten her family's financial burden. Each piece bears a tag that reads: "To Life." Her cancer-fighting story has quietly spread through the hospital wards, becoming a ray of light in the eyes of new patients.
At the end of the interview, the reporter asked what her future plans were. She thought for a moment and replied, "I'll keep drawing, keep making crafts. When I turn 25, I want to organize a 'personal wedding' to tell myself to love myself a little more, and love this world a little more. I'll invite you all then." She said firmly, "A little fish swims slowly, but it will surely get past this difficulty."
12 Common Signs of Stomach Cancer
What are the common symptoms of stomach cancer? The Hospital Authority points out that the following symptoms may indicate stomach cancer or other more common digestive issues like gastritis or duodenal ulcers. Pay attention to:
- Persistent indigestion
- Persistent loss of appetite
- Rapid weight loss
- Lower abdominal swelling
- Abdominal discomfort after eating
- Vomiting
- Hematemesis (vomiting blood)
- Blood in stool
- Black, tarry stool
- Anemia
- Fatigue
- Weakness
The Hospital Authority notes that because early-stage stomach cancer symptoms are often subtle, many patients dismiss them as minor stomach issues. Therefore, over half of patients are already at moderate to advanced stages when diagnosed and treated. If symptoms are suspected, seek early medical advice from a family doctor.
4 Ways to Prevent Stomach Cancer: What to Eat More of?
To prevent stomach cancer, the Hospital Authority recommends the following daily practices, including eating more of two types of vegetables and Vitamin C-rich foods:
- Eat More Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
- Cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, Chinese kale) contain anti-cancer compounds that help break down carcinogens.
- Fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene (e.g., carrots, mangoes, papayas) help strengthen the body's resistance and directly reduce cancer risk.
- Foods rich in Vitamin C (e.g., oranges, grapefruit, strawberries) have antioxidant functions that can reduce the risk of stomach cancer.
- Eat Less High-Salt Food
- Pickled and smoked foods (e.g., sausages, salted eggs, sausages, ham, bacon, salted fish) form carcinogenic compounds during processing.
- Fried foods generate free radicals during frying, which reduce oxygen content in tissues and damage body tissues.
- Practice Good Personal Hygiene
- Wash hands frequently and avoid contact with feces or vomit to prevent Helicobacter pylori infection.
- Regular Health Checkups
- If a close family member has had stomach cancer, it is recommended that individuals over 40 undergo regular annual gastroscopy examinations.
